Just came across some really bad news and I thought I should put it out here for you guys. If you are a Manchester United supporter, this concerns you. If you’re not but you’re still wondering what’s going on behind closed doors that has led this club to collapse so dramatically, post Alex Ferguson, you may want to give it a read, too. So, for those of you don’t know this gentleman called Neil Ashton, he was hired by Ed Woodward, our CEO, as his new PR agent. Not gonna lie, that lad has been doing pretty well so far. Luckily for him, his appointment coincided with United embarking on a glorious run of eleven games unbeaten before coronavirus halted football. Team playing well, new signings flying, linked with top talents across Europe, all’s great on the PR front at least. So this announcement of United dropping the idea of hiring a Director Of Football couldn’t be timed better. This upsets me for a multitude of reasons. First off, let’s look at the situation from a broader perspective. Yes, the past three months have been good for the club, we’ve had good results, some unexpectedly good ones, too. But let’s not forget that this very season, we’ve had results which are simply not good enough for Manchester United. I’ve said it before, Ole Gunnnar Solskjaer is learning on the job. He’s made tactical blunders away at Sheffield and Bournemouth and has made up for it against City and Liverpool. His past coaching record isn’t great. He has been relegated with Cardiff and has won the title with Molde who have managed to do so without him anyway. Also, to be clear, this is not an article on the entire Ole in/Ole out agenda. All I’m trying to say is, by not giving Ole a DOF, we’re again, failing to back him. I personally would want him to concentrate on the football than the money/transfers/recruitment. There needs to be this figure between Ed Woodward and Solskajer to ease things, to finalise deals, get talent from outside the UK and in turn, taking this club forward. Purists would say Sir Alex did it all on his own. Yes, but is Ole the next Sir Alex? Or let me rephrase this as: is Woodward a Martin Edwards or a David Gill? Nowhere close. And football has changed considerably since he left. Or even during his last years. Not one signing he made post the 2008 summer has gone on to achieve great things. And we should always remember that United in the early 2000s were the best team in Europe, thereby attracting global talent to aid a team whose backbone was it’s academy. Does United hold that power anymore? I doubt so. Since United last brought the title home, seven clubs have lifted it. All seven of them have had a DOF. The only other notable team in Europe who currently are without a DOF, are Spurs. Another team run by a man without zero footballing knowledge/background. Back when they had one, in Damian Comolli, they assembled that legendary team consisting of the Bales and the Modrics. Now a lot of you, including those of you who’re reading this, must be thinking that a DOF doesn’t mean anything. We’ve got SAF in recruitment, laying out the red carpet for a Bellingham or a Grealish or a Reece Oxford, Ole’s done well, Phelan’s not bad and things are not as critical from where we’re standing. However, let’s go over United’s coaching staff. Solskjaer, played in Norway and England. Micheal Carrick, played in England, coached in England. McKenna, same. This will help you with the Declan Rice(s), Jack Grealish(s) and Ben Godfrey(s) but what about talent from other parts of Europe? A DOF, does everything. From scouting, to appointments, to contract negotiations. All while keeping the club philosophies in mind. And more importantly, with the manager’s input, without his presence. The transfers that we’ve had have arguably been top-notch but I’d like to point out the fact that Bruno was a fairly obvious transfer which by the way, shouldn’t have waited till January. We probably wouldn’t have got him in either, had it not been for Pogba and McTominay being injured. And to be fair, if you’re skeptical about somebody of his calibre, you’re not doing your homework right.
Having said all of that, a DOF makes no sense if he’s another puppet in the hands of The Glazers or Mr. Woodward himself. Then, perhaps this whole system needs rethinking. If we’re trying to catch a Liverpool, a City or a Bayern, we have to do what they’ve done right. An independent DOF is a massive piece of the jigsaw. Ole has all my backing and perhaps every person who’s a part of this fanbase feels the same way but if he goes say ten games without a win, he will face the axe and we’ll be back to square one. So it’s time we let go of this arrogance and the stigma that a DOF comes with a lot of unwanted clashes/meddling and start being realistic.
Send me your views on this entire incident. I think it’s a huge disappointment and I’d love it if you can change my mind.
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